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Lina Gilleland joins the program to shed light on the true Native American experience in North America. She explains how Native American communities come first for social experiments and initiatives. From microchip implants to vaccines, the government uses them as test subjects before new products or services are released widely into the general public. We also learn about other government programs that were unleashed onto the Native Americans that systematically destroyed their families and communities. This is an eye opening tale of a dark part of our history that all people in North America should know.

Lina sticks around and answers a couple additional questions for my Patrons: she explores how Native American Veterans were deported coming back from war and how drugs were introduced to Native Americans by the U.S. Government. Consider supporting the program and viewing exclusive content at https://www.patreon.com/SarahWestall

Learn how Hydrogen and pH water significantly improves your health by contacting Chip Bunce at IonFreshWater@mail.com (provide your phone number and a time for him to contact you if you have detailed questions)

Note: This post is dedicated to keeping the memory alive of the First Nations Peoples who made the America’s great long, long ago. With love and reverence to the original Ancestors of the Continents of the America’s. Blessings, {~A~}

Those who are indigenous to this land we call “The United States of America” have been long misrepresented and pushed out of American history textbooks in favor of glorifying those who now rule this nation and represent the dominant culture. What kind of democracy are we when education institutions and teachers refuse to mention the fact that 10 to 30 million Natives were killed at the hands of European invasion and colonialism? What is the point of having a “free market of ideas” when selective and biased history is being taught to our children?

There is no other way to put it, but erasing the memory of an entire race of people through distorted history is a systematic way of deceiving and lying to our children. Not only are we presented with biased history, but we are also subjected to an ever-growing culture of capitalism, in which commercialization of an ambiguous holiday merely pulls us away from facts and meaning. Turkeys are associated with “Thanksgiving” in the same way Santa Clause and the Easter bunny have become synonymous with Christmas and Easter, respectively. Through the guise of innocence, capitalism is constantly telling us to consume because consumption equals “happiness.” Tomorrow is not “Black Friday” for nothing.

And as children dress up as Pilgrims and Natives to reenact the romanticized version of history, they are not only perpetuating stereotypes, but more importantly, they’re being embedded with lies. What do they really know about the Pilgrims and the Natives? Consider a high school history textbook called “The American Tradition” which describes the scene quite succinctly:

After some exploring, the Pilgrims chose the land around Plymouth Harbor for their settlement. Unfortunately, they had arrived in December and were not prepared for the New England winter. However, they were aided by friendly Indians, who gave them food and showed them how to grow corn. When warm weather came, the colonists planted, fished, hunted, and prepared themselves for the next winter. After harvesting their first crop, they and their Indian friends celebrated the first Thanksgiving.

This patronizing version of history excludes many embarrassing facts of European history. As stated by James W. Loewen, author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me,” many college students are unaware of the horrific plague that devastated and significantly reduced the population of Natives after Columbus’ arrival in the “new world.” Most diseases came from animals that were domesticated by Europeans. Cowpox from cows led to smallpox, which was later “spread through gifts of blankets by infected Europeans.” Of the twelve high school textbooks Professor Loewen studied and analyzed, only three offer some explanation that the plague was a factor of European colonization. The nine remaining textbooks mention almost nothing, and two of them omit the subject altogether. He writes: “Each of the other seven furnishes only a fragment of a paragraph that does not even make it into the index, let alone into students’ minds.”

Why is it important to mention the plague? It reinforced European ethnocentricism which hardly produced a “friendly” relationship between the Natives and Europeans. To most of the Pilgrims and Europeans, the Natives were heathens, savages, treacherous, and Satanic. Upon seeing thousands of dead Natives, the Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Winthrop, called the plague “miraculous.” In 1634, he wrote to a friend in England:

But for the natives in these parts, God hath so pursued them, as for 300 miles space the greatest part of them are swept away by the small pox which still continues among them. So as God hath thereby cleared our title to this place, those who remain in these parts, being in all not fifty, have put themselves under our protect…

The ugly truth is that many Pilgrims were thankful and grateful that the Native population was decreasing. Even worse, there was the Pequot Massacre in 1637, which started after the colonists found a murdered white man in his boat. Ninety armed settlers burned a Native village, along with their crops, and then demanded the Natives to turn in the murderers. When the Natives refused, a massacre followed.

Captain John Mason and his colonist army surrounded a fortified Pequot village and reportedly shouted: “We must burn them! Such a dreadful terror let the Almighty fall upon their spirits that they would flee from us and run into the very flames. Thus did the Lord Judge the heathen, filling the place with dead bodies.” The surviving Pequot were hunted and slain.

The Governor of Plymouth, William Bradford, further elaborates:

Those that escaped the fire were slain with the sword; some hewed to pieces, others run through with their rapiers, so that they were quickly dispatched and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400 at this time. It was a fearful sight to see them thus frying in the fire…horrible was the stink and scent thereof, but the victory seemed a sweet sacrifice, and they gave the prayers thereof to God, who had wrought so wonderfully for them.

Now, one may ask: What about Squanto, the Wampanoag man who learned to speak English and helped the hungry, ill, and poor Pilgrims? As cited by Professor Loewen, an American high school textbook called “Land of Promise” reads:

Squanto had learned their language, the author explained, from English fishermen who ventured into the New England waters each summer. Squanto taught the Pilgrims how to plant corn, squash, and pumpkins. Would the small band of settlers have survived without Squanto’s help? We cannot say. But by the fall of 1621, colonists and Indians could sit down to several days of feast and thanksgiving to God (later celebrated as the first Thanksgiving).

Note that this text states the first Thanksgiving was on 1621. Indeed, there was a feast on that year, but it was not called a “Thanksgiving feast” nor was it repeated until years later after the Pequot Massacre in 1637. In regards to Squanto, the correct question to ask is: How did Squanto learn English? History textbooks neglect to mention that the Europeans did not perceive Squanto as an equal, but rather as “an instrument of their God” to help the “chosen people.” It is also omitted that, as a boy, Squanto was stolen by a British captain in 1605 and taken to England. He worked for a Plymouth Merchant who eventually helped him arrange passage back to Massachusetts, but less than a year later, he was seized by a British slave raider. Along with two dozen fellow Natives, Squanto was sold into slavery in Spain. He would manage to escape slavery, journey back to England, and then talk a ship captain into taking him along on his next trip to Cape Cod in 1619.

As Squanto walked back into his home village, he was horrified to find that he was the only surviving member of his village. The rest were either killed in battle or died of illness and disease. Excluding Squanto’s enslavement is to paint an incredibly distorted version of history that suggests Natives like Squanto learned English for no other reason but to help the colonists. It is to glorify the Europeans and erase the struggles and experiences of the Native people.

When history is transformed into myths, tales, and bedtime stories, we ignore historical research that enables us to learn valuable and meaningful lessons about our present, as well as about our future. History is meant to be an accurate and honest account of civilizations, cultures, and events; not a body of ethnocentric and selective alterations.

As Professor Loewen states:

Thanksgiving is full of embarrassing facts. The Pilgrims did not introduce the Native Americans to the tradition; Eastern Indians had observed autumnal harvest celebrations for centuries. Our modern celebrations date back only to 1863; not until the 1890s did the Pilgrims get included in the tradition; no one even called them ‘Pilgrims’ until the 1870s.

I did not write this article with intentions to offend or say we shouldn’t celebrate “Thanksgiving.” None of us are responsible for the atrocious deaths of Natives and Europeans. None of us caused the plague or the massacres. But as human beings, I do feel that it’s important for us to approach history with honesty and sensitivity. Perhaps some of you don’t believe this history is relevant to you, but I would strongly argue that a history that is not inclusive is a dangerously racist and prejudice one. Yes, we should spend time with our families and Loved ones, and yes, we should be grateful and thankful for all that we have, but not at the expense of ignoring an entire race of people, their culture, and their history. The fact that history textbooks and schools try to glorify the Pilgrims while omitting significant facts about the Natives represents that there is a lot to improve in the United States. Let us not become blinded by super-patriotism or blowout sales of “Black Friday.” Let us give some thought to the Native people, learn from their struggles, and embolden ourselves to stand up against racism and genocide in all forms.

They deserve your attention.

~Broken Mystic~

UPDATE: Thank you all for commenting and sharing your thoughts on this post. Unfortunately, I do NOT write on this blog anymore, but you can still share your comments on an updated and revised piece I wrote on my new blog (see link below). Also, there are others who have written excellent articles on the truth of “Thanksgiving” and their work certainly deserves more attention than this post.

Even though it’ll be in full view over the Navajo Nation in Arizona, traditional tribal members won’t look up while it’s happening.

The Navajo word for eclipse is “eating the sun.” In the Navajo tradition it is believed that the “sun dies” during a solar eclipse and that it is an intimate event between the Earth, Sun and Moon.

People are told to stay inside and keep still during the dark period. There’s no eating, drinking, sleeping, weaving or any other activity.

For Angelenos who do want to see it, the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and Caltech in Pasadena will host viewings of the solar eclipse on Sunday afternoon.

“The moon and the sun are sacred the way they were created, and you are not supposed to watch the moon or look at, stare at it for a long time,” “It affects your mind and your body. Especially for a woman that’s carrying a baby. Because when there is an eclipse either lunar or solar, this is a sacred time where the sun, the moon and the earth is kind of like in an intimate position when they line up, so it’s such a sacred thing that’s happening, you don’t look at those things that are happening out in the sky.”

If a pregnant woman sees an eclipse of any kind, be it solar or lunar, it might “affect the mind of the woman or also in the future it will affect the health of the baby,” Begay said, and a special ceremony must be conducted to rid them of the influence.

During an eclipse, “every man, woman and child—they have to show reverence, and they don’t eat, they don’t drink water, they just go into the house until it passes,” Begay said. “And then they show respect for the moon and the sun.”

Ancient and modern shamans alike, recognize the total solar eclipse in North America (August 21, 2017) as “Big Medicine.”

And YOU can easily engage with the healing wisdom (and add to the potency of this sacred “medicine”) with some simple preparation for the Solar Eclipse…

This historic event is so much more than an astrological happening with millions gathering to witness the brief union of moon and sun. (If you plan to be among the spectators, be sure you wear your protective eclipse glasses!).

Wherever you may be in the world, the solar eclipse marks a time in which polarities dissolve, opening us to a portal of profound connection with all of life — according to don Oscar Miro-Quesada, a Peruvian curandero (healer) and world-renowned shamanism teacher.

From microcosmic to macrocosmic… and from the cells in your body to the outer reaches of Milky Way Galaxy, the solar eclipse has a powerful, healing influence.

Align Yourself With Love & Good Intentions for the Solar Eclipse

During the 7 to 9 days before and after the total solar eclipse, you can set positive, intentions and clear out what no longer serves your heart and our world.

The solar eclipse is a time for healing wounds and relationships — and for re-aligning yourself with love, wisdom and goodness.

So, are YOU ready to partake of the first coast-to-coast (and beyond) solar eclipse in 99 years?!

In the 10-minute video below, don Oscar illuminates the shamanic significance of the solar eclipse… AND he guides you in a beautiful Alignment Practice, timed for this powerful, celestial event.

Immerse yourself in this wisdom transmission – and discover the sacred meaning of this event, in which “Father Sun and Mother Moon unite in loving embrace as one that balances all opposition… all polarity.”

Here are some highlights covered by beloved curandero, author and transpersonal psychologist don Oscar Miro-Quesada in this insightful video about this celestial event:

“Who you are and what you are and what you’re knowing about yourself is what’s going to change you inside yourself. We live in a limited point of view. Living the Mystical Life Daily is about striving for the unlimited point of view.”

Welcome! Are you ready to join me on this wonderful journey to awakening your spiritual presence? Are you ready to manifest and create a better you in the life that you are living? The GH team and I are changing the way we do things, and bringing you a brand new weekly design! Every Monday at 11AM PST, I will be sharing a new teaching with you all. For today’s teaching, we dive in to what The Mystical Life Daily is and how you can start living your own Mystical Life, each and every day. But remember it starts with choice, and it’s your choices that will create and manifest what you want in your life.

So enjoy this teaching, bloopers and all, and I will see you next week!

Note: I have no words to describe this except ‘utterly shameful’, especially coming from Native American’s when inhumane acts that desecrate the sacred nature of life are the M.O. of the White Man….face palm, shake head.

MGN

By By JAMES NORD, AP, KCRG |

Posted: Thu 10:07 AM, Apr 27, 2017 |

Updated: Thu 10:34 AM, Apr 27, 2017

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A man from Mount Vernon has been indicted by a federal grand jury in South Dakota with trafficking body parts of bald eagles.

Court documents say Jorge Pena is charged with violating multiple federal laws that protect the American Bald Eagle and the Golden Eagle.

Pena is one of fifteen involved in a Bald Eagle trafficking operation.

U.S. Attorney Randy Seiler said that officials expect “significant” additional federal charges in the case, which focused on trafficking of eagles and eagle parts and feathers for profit. Authorities said the case involves more than 100 eagles, a number that could climb as high as 250.

Seiler described one operation as basically a “chop-shop for eagles” in which eagle feathers were stuffed into garbage bags. He said it was clear that it was a moneymaking operation and that the feathers and eagle parts such as talons and beaks were treated as merchandise.

“There was no cultural sensitivity. There was no spirituality,” Seiler said. “There was no tradition in the manner in which these defendants handled these birds.”

He said the investigation involved confidential informants, a multi-state area and the purchase of regalia items such as ceremonial fans. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office said in an email that there are a variety of reasons why people buy eagle parts, and a collectors market plays a role.

Dan Rolince, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service assistant special agent in charge of law enforcement for the region, said that some of those accused used code words to avoid detection by describing the eagle and other bird parts for sale using the names of animals or even car parts. He said the eagles were primarily shot.

“At the end of this process, I have full confidence that it will be one of the largest cases of this nature we’ve ever worked,” he said.

Three Rapid City men charged in the case are involved with Buffalo Dreamers, which performs Native American dance programs. Owner Troy Fairbanks has been charged with conspiracy to commit wildlife trafficking and violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Lacey Act.

Fairbanks, 54, allegedly sold or traded eagle parts to an informant including a golden eagle head for $250, a trade involving about $5,400 of legal merchandise for eagle parts and selling two sets of eagle wings for $900. Rolince said that a whole eagle carcass would generally sell for between $1,000 and $1,200.

The indictment says Fairbanks in 2015 claimed he could acquire between 30 and 40 eagles by February 2016. Fairbanks also said in 2015 that he had 19 people in the Los Angeles area who wanted to buy “eagle feathers/parts” from him, according to the document.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Fairbanks has an attorney, and he didn’t immediately return an email from The Associated Press. A telephone number for Buffalo Dreamers went directly to voicemail.

According to another indictment, Juan Mesteth sold fans and eagle feathers to an informant. The document says Mesteth in 2015 discussed having connections in Wyoming who could get whole carcass eagles and would take the informant hunting for eagles. It wasn’t immediately clear if the 39-year-old Mesteth, of Pine Ridge, had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Those accused in the case include people from Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. Authorities didn’t immediately disclose how much the defendants are thought to have profited in the case, and Seiler said some of the 15 defendants are unconnected to each other.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a very lovely event in Durango, Colorado, which is about 50 miles away from my house. As long time friends and readers of this blog may know, I was a trained shamanic practitioner and teacher of that tradition for many years before I created the Quantum Sphere Healing protocol. The tradition that is still very dear to my heart is that of the Q’ero shamans of Peru. The Q’ero people live in the high Andes Mountains above 14,000’, and maintain their traditional lifestyle to this day.

Terry and Rose Stout of Durango managed, through great effort on their part, to bring a Q’ero paqo (healer) to their town to do a group ceremony and private healing sessions. His name is don Eduardo Chura Apaza. Yesterday I attended the public ceremony at which a group despacho, or medicine bundle, was created by don Eduardo with help from everyone present. The theme for this sacred bundle was “Visioning Highest Consciousness for All Beings and For Our Earth”. The despacho was then burned at a fire ceremony later in the evening, which is how the positive intent of the group is released.

It has been many years since I was in the presence of a Q’ero paqo, and I had forgotten how wonderful they are. The Q’ero live a nature based life and are also intimately connected to the quantum field and their local sacred mountains, or Apus. There are less than 500 of them left in Peru, and they are united in a group consciousness through their connection to the quantum field. They are heart centered and joyful at all times, and that energy is carried over to any one that they meet. What a delight to be in that energy again!

Don Eduardo held the higher dimensional sacred space for the creation of the despacho, and that space was warm and openhearted as well. I know that everyone present was changed as a result of being in that presence, myself included. It was a good reminder for me to live life from the heart and continue to connect deeply every day to the natural kingdom. Enjoy the photos. You may also be able to tap into the lovely energy from yesterday.

It is an honor to have walked on the sacred grounds of Oceti Sakowin, Rosebud and Sacred Stone camps. To have experienced all the veils pierced by love and the mighty power of peace. Let us rise up in song on this Blessed Day and allow ourselves to dissolve all fears and lingering doubts that have kept us from fully expressing our souls. My life was forever changed, within flows the eternal spring of gratitude for the courage of the Spiritual Warriors who put their lives on the frontline to protect our sacred ground and freedom of a chosen way of Life. To the still slumbering humanity and to those who know a high intelligent truth maintain within our consciousness that when the call comes to your door you too will have to chose life or death.

Our power is the song that unites us all, it is listening to Creator that abides inside of each of us and surrendering to the everlasting love of Mother Earth. We are the Oyate – Diné – The One People.

Mni Wiconi – Water is Life

Ah’o

Walking In Beauty

In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again
It has become beauty again
It has become beauty again
It has become beauty again

Today I will walk out, today everything unnecessary will leave me,
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever,
nothing will hinder me.
I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.
I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.
I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.

In beauty all day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With dew about my feet, may I walk.

With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.
With beauty above me may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk.

In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
My words will be beautiful.

WAGNER, SOUTH DAKOTA — In a letter sent via overnight courier, Tribal Chair Robert Flying Hawk, Yankton Sioux Tribe, is requesting that President Donald Trump release all correspondence and communication pertaining to the President’s decisions that led him to sign the presidential memoranda relating to the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

In the letter, dated January 27, 2017, Flying Hawk cites being dismayed that President Trump signed the executive actions shortly after assuming the presidency.

He writes:

Dear President Trump:

On behalf of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, or Ihanktonwan Nation, I respectfully call upon you to immediately release and make public all correspondence and communications received by your office pertaining to the Memorandum on Construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline and the Memorandum on Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline issued January 24, 2017.

The Yankton Sioux Tribe, whose treaty and ancestral lands are under threat by these projects, is dismayed by your executive actions taken just four days after you assumed office and seven days after the Army Department’s issuance of a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement in Connection with the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The memoranda appear to have been drafted not by the U.S. Department of Justice or White House counsel, but by the attorneys for the pipeline companies themselves. In light of your decision not to relinquish your business interests prior to taking the oath of office, our Nation has grave concerns that these memoranda serve to fulfill commitments to your personal business interests rather than adherence to the United States’ long-standing trust responsibility to Indian tribes.

As a matter of transparency, and in fulfillment of your trust responsibility as the President of the United States, our Nation calls upon you to release the afore-mentioned correspondence and communications forthwith and without reservation.

Hair is the physical manifestation of our thoughts and an extension of ourselves.

So pure and sacred are the thoughts of Our Mother, the Earth, that Her hair grows long and fragrant. The Sweet Grasses found growing around the World represent the hair of Our Mother, the Earth. These special grasses have long been collected by the Native Peoples of Earth to use as incense (to perceive by the senses) for physical and spiritual healing, celebrations, for sacred prayer and purification rites. Loving All Her Children, the Earth allows us to share in Her loving intent and Her perfect and purifying thoughts. On the Medicine Wheel Sweetgrass sits in the North position, the place of Water/Consciousness, the Place of the Minder of the Universe, and the Soul of Man.

As Native People walk the Sacred Path of the Creator God, Our Hair, the physical extension of our thoughts, allows for our direction along the Path of Life. All Peoples of Earth have cultural tales/tails (tails guide beings, example; without tails-Birds could not fly, Fish could not swim and Animals would be without balance) depicting the Power of Hair/Thought, telling of the strengths of Men and Women, using thoughts/hair to defeat evil. Should you maintain pure and perfect thoughts, evil sorcerers and witches cannot use your hair in their evil ceremonies to defeat you, for they need the weaknesses in your thoughts, to cause you harm. Believe in the Power of the Creator, not in the magic of Man.

In many countries around the World, Holy men and Holy women are recognized by the length and glory of their hair. The cutting of hair by oppressors has long represented the submission and defeat of a People, through humiliation. The Language and Sacredness of Hair is taught by All Tribal People of Earth. The way a People comb (the Alignment of thought), braid (the Oneness of thought), tie (the Securing of thought) and color (the Conviction in thought), their Hair is of great significance. Hair styles are important for they portray and announce participation in various events and the feelings expressed by People; the state of merriment or mourning, at a given time, or a stage of life; whether one is coming of age, marriageable or married, one’s age and tribal status. Hair can depict the Tribal Spirits one follows given the geographical location of a Peoples and the Spirits flowing through someone depending on their age as a Spirit and the spirits that one is calling on, in a given ceremony. Different styles signify the Tribe one belongs to and are worn to indicate times of peace or war.

Inuit woman, Nowadluk, with long hair

Hairstyles like seasons change for public, private and ceremonial occasions. Hair represents the pure thoughts and spiritual status of an Individual, showing the bonds and spiritual oneness of a Family and defines the cultural harmony and spiritual alignment of a Nation. Hair represents the Pure and Spiritual thoughts of All Tribal People.

Everyone is given Straight or Curly hair, depending on the Creator’s discretion. Straight, flowing hair, teaches of one that can gracefully hold or let go of life. Thoughts can extend in a uniform manner, flowing directly from the source, like the movement of water flowing from the mountain top to the ocean, and then the water can rise up again to fall once more. For those with Curly hair, they will have the potential to understand the Spiral, Curve and Energy of Life. Their thoughts teach about the decrease and enlargement of life’s movement. The winding, circular energy of movement and growth on the Earth. All thoughts in life tend to ebb and flow.

Native Children are taught from a young age how to groom and care for themselves, their immediate and extended family. They are taught that grooming one and other, unifies the bond of a family, caring for one and other strengthens the family ties, respecting one and other maintains family harmony and loving one and other defines a family’s pride. They are taught to correct one and others appearance and habits, to strengthen one and other continually, causing them to be beautiful, strengthening in them the ideal that they are an extension of the Creator’s thoughts of Love. They emanate from the thoughts of Perfection and strive to become (to pass from one state to another and to enhance) Perfection.

As Children are raised up, so too is the spiritual level of teaching raised, to elevate their Spirits. In youth and innocence (in-knowing-sense = freedom from guilt, sin or pain), Mankind is blessed with a bounty of beautiful hair. The more pure and sacred your thoughts, the longer, healthier, and vibrant, your hair. As Humans age and loose their innocence, falling off the Path of Light, harboring dark thoughts, losing the light of pure thought, Humans loose their hair and the shine (aureole) it once had.

Red Shirt – Oglala – circa 1880

Caring for hair is very important, for like the Sweet Grasses of our Mother, the Earth, our hair holds the purity of our intent. For our thought can purify the thoughts of others. Native Children are taught to wash and rinse hair, and are taught the proper use of the gifts of the Plant People; learning which bulbs, roots and herbs, will bring luster and light to ones hair. Maintaining the health of ones hair is important, as is maintaining all physical and spiritual health and wholeness.

They are also taught combing rites. Special combs were and in some places still are used for the Sweetgrass Rites and ornate combs were and still are made for Human hair. Careful consideration is given to the types of woods, bones, metals, jewels, and brush materials, as well as the symbols and (spirit) designs, for the best physical and spiritual purpose, of the task of combing Ones hair. The Porcupine shared itself by giving Native Women a Sacred Comb, which was made from the bone found on the underside of the Porcupine’s tail. After taking the skin off, drying it and making a wooden handle, it was ready to use.

Left Hand Bear, Oglala Sioux chief

Combing is the act of separating and adjusting the hair so that it will lay or move in the best or most beautiful way. Native families, knowing that our hair is the physical manifestation of our thoughts, also understand that our thoughts need to be corrected and adjusted by the Creator, so that we will move gracefully along the Beauty Way, the Sacred Path of Life.

When combing our hair each day, we are re-minded to keep our thoughts pure. The hair that falls out and gathers in our brushes and combs, is gathered up and kept in a special place or pouch, for the 28 days of the Moon/month. This hair is a recollection, a record of our past thoughts and deeds. At the time of the Full Moon, the time of illumination and completeness, the Hearts of the Families, the Women, gather in ceremony and offer the thoughts of their families, their bundled Hair, to the Spirits of Fire, Earth and Air.

When our offerings of Hair are placed in fire, our thoughts are uplifted, sent through the smoke, moved by the power of the Moon, and prayerfully given to our Father, the Creator God or if buried, returned to Our Mother, the Earth and She relays our intent to through the Moon, to Our Father. In this way the Creator reads your families thoughts and sends His Spirits/Angels to guide you on the Sacred Path, correcting your Mind, Heart and Soul, strengthening the Body of Oneness, till the next Full Moon. Holding Sacred thoughts, choosing to walk a path of light, One that is pleasing to the Creator God, strengthens the individual Family, and the Greater Family of Universal Oneness, that every One is a part of.

Your hair teaches you that your thoughts are to flow in all directions but are to be informally directed. Yellow, Red, Black and White the four colors of hair symbolizing the major directions of Earth, and the direction of those constant in the flow of thought/ Spirit. Also, the four directions in between, Gold, Orange, Brown, Blue/Grey, Hair indicating those continual in thought/Spirit, flowing throughout the Universe. Your hair is just one way of indicating to others another conviction you carry throughout your lifetime. When the color of your hair changes, naturally, that means you have been Elevated, by God. You have more responsibility in and for Life.

You were given a sacred color of hair to wear and you were never to bleach (whiten) or dye your hair. Even the word dye/die when used for coloring states the death or divination of a God-given thought and purpose. Dying (destined for death) ones hair places your desires before the thoughts of God. Bleaching ones hair to change spiritual status, does not make one an Elder or Pre-dating Spirit, for you are born who you are, chosen, and elevated by God, not by Mankind. In Native ceremony when ocher and hennas were used on hair it was understood that it was for a Sacred purpose and Spirit (God) inspired, and the natural color would naturally return.

The act of cutting your hair is the cutting off of the flow of thought. You actually sever away past thoughts from future deeds. Cutting your hair usually occurs when one chooses to make a major change in ones life, putting past misdeeds behind them, and beginning a new/knew life. In Native teachings many tribes cut their hair during the mourning process, which symbolizes the deep wound to ones sensibilities caused by the piercing hurt of a loved ones passing.

Other tribes, remembering that they are Spirits that live forever, cut their hair after a year of mourning. Symbolic of the severing of their ties, freeing the spirit of their loved ones, allowing them to enter the morning of the next world. Ready to start a new life, knowing they must respect and honor their loved one, they feast and urge their loved Ones’ spirit on. Demonstrating their love for all life, they signal they too are ready to start a new day, a new morning. For in wisdom, they except the greater cycle of life. They know the Body of their past Love, was given back to the Earth and the Spirit of their Loved One, needs to return to the Sol/Star their Spirits emanate from, to be re-aligned in the Body of Oneness, being reborn as their future and the renewed Children of Earth.

Even the time of cutting your hair is important, for all things need to be in harmony with the natural rhythm and flow of the Universe. Cutting old thoughts, harvesting full grown ideas, cutting all ties, is best on the Full Moon. For fresh starts, like the planting time, for new seeds of thought, or for the trimming, pruning and monthly maintenance, we cut our hair by the light of the New Moon, so it will grow thick and quick.

Young men are often seen with braids of sweetgrass for personal purification rites. In some Tribes, men weave sweetgrass into their braids to unify their thoughts with their Mother, the Earth, strengthening their thoughts of Oneness. This demonstrates the way in which hair is used to extend and bind your thoughts with others.

Naiche – Chiricahua Apache Youngest son of Cochise

By attaching a lock of a loved ones hair, in your hair, or by carrying their hair on your person, One is able to carry the thoughts of their loved ones with them on their travels. It is so important to have your families spiritual support and protective thoughts (prayers) in life generally, that the hair of ones family and the hair of their protective spirits, was braided into a warriors battle dress for added strength and stamina. It is generally understood that you do not touch a person’s hair without permission.

Sweetgrass headbands (the things that keep your brains in) (joke) are worn for concentration, to purify thought. The aroma of sweetgrass clears the mind. Sweetgrass necklaces or collars refer to the Spirit that is born head-first, and is used to call-in / collar the Spirit of Wisdom you are descended from. Sweetgrass braids, like the braids on your head symbolize the serpents of wisdom, that keep you on the Sacred Path of Light. It is the double-headed serpent that warns you with a shake of its tail, should you step off the path of light, to get back on the sacred path or suffer the venomous bites of despair, depression or death, depending how far you wander.

Braids symbolize Oneness and Unity. The flowing strands of hair, individually weak but when joined together in Oneness, physically demonstrate the Strength of Oneness; “One Mind, One Heart and One Soul”, the Song of the Uni-verse, and the Sacred thoughts you are to hold. There are times to wear the hair braided and times to let it flow free, different times to demonstrate your harmony with the flow of life and to demonstrate your thoughts of Oneness to others.

There are different teachings about the way to braid ones hair, and different teachings about the ways and rites of braiding Sweetgrass.

One way is to gather 28 whole strands of Sweetgrass, one strand symbolizing each sacred day in one moon(month). Divide them in three equal piles, 9 strands each, each pile symbolizing the wandering spirits of the 3 tiers of Heaven (upper world, middle world, lower world), and with the one strand that is left, the strand that Symbolizes the Great Spirit, the Creator God(Father Sun), you tie all the loose strands together. Remembering as you braid the Sweetgrass, to keep your thoughts and intent pure and healthy, placing the prayers of love for life into your braid. It is the intent placed in the medicine that makes all healing possible. To end the braid, tie a knot with the grass. A Knot is symbolic of Union and a Bond. The Tie that binds. The knot in the Sweetgrass braid also binds all the “thoughts” of our Mother together, to teach us, once again of the strength of Unity or Oneness.

Know it is only the Creator’s power that holds the Universe together and the wandering spirits are His Great Spirits that flow and protect Life all the way to the outer edges of the Universe and the 3 tiers of Heaven are the lower, middle and upper worlds or the Sea, Earth and Sky(Universe) where all the Great Spirits dwell. Keeping thoughts of Love and Respect for All Life in your Mind and Heart, allows one to share the Sacred Sweetgrass with others in a good way.

When working with the Sacred Medicines, our intent should be as pure as the intent of our selfless Mother, the Earth. She wants only the best for Her Children. So hold Sacred thoughts; thoughts of Oneness and Healing thoughts; thoughts of Empowerment and Love, when braiding and using Sweetgrass. Soon All Nations will be strong again.

An Excessive Force lawsuit was filed against the Morton Country Sheriff for the gruesome events that took place during a November 20 bridge attack on Water Protectors at DAPL, but the Sheriff’s office continues to assault people claiming the Sheriff simply didn’t know that the lawsuit had been filed.

Why didn’t Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier know about the lawsuit?

Because he used his power of office to refuse being served with the paperwork. According to a motion brought before Judge Daniel Hovland, “Although he was present in his office, Sheriff Kirchmeier did not make himself available for personal service. On the morning of December 1, the Morton County States Attorney accepted service on behalf of Sheriff Kirchmeier.”

Here is a clear example of law enforcement using their power to manipulate the law for their own benefit. While this may be a shocking piece of information for some people, Water Protectors at DAPL are not surprised at all. To Natives, this is just another example on a long, long list of atrocities and lies from the US Government.

The lawsuit names not only the Morton County Sheriff but also Mandan Police Chief Jason Ziegler. You may remember Ziegler from his snarky comments defending the use of force against protestors. “It was effective, wasn’t it? We can use whatever force is necessary to maintain peace. When they are throwing rocks, burning logs, shooting slingshots with projectiles at our officers, that would fall under what we would call less lethal, same things as rubber bullets, which doesn’t hurt as much.”

Water Protectors are throwing rocks, and law enforcement disproportionally retaliates with all sorts of “Non-lethal” ordinances such as water cannons, lead-filled beanbags, and explosive teargas grenades. According to Ziegler, it’s ok because “it was effective, wasn’t it?”

It is deeply disturbing to know that in the eyes of law enforcement, we’re still living in a time when outright state-funded violence is the go-to method for resolving conflicts.

It really is “pitchfork and torches time in America,” like Milwaukee Sheriff David A Clarke said in October.

Grand Canyon, AZ — On October 13, 2016, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) issued three controversial air quality permits for uranium mines near the Grand Canyon. The uranium mining will desecrate sacred sites and further contaminate communities that have already been plagued by decades of toxic abandoned uranium mines.

“Mother Earth is very precious, every living thing depends on her,” said Cameron Chapter president Milton Tso, “Uranium belongs to our mother, it belongs to her and that’s where it should stay. You’re going to have a battle, I guarantee that you’re going to have a battle from me and from everybody else if this stuff starts going towards our way.”

“We are very upset that ADEQ approved the air quality permits.” stated Havasupai council member Carletta Tilousi, “Even though we stood firm on protecting the lands and sacred areas, again the state of Arizona won’t protect our Grand Canyon homelands as they went ahead and issued the air quality permits. We are very disappointed with the agency.”

Energy Fuels Resources, Inc. (EFRI) operates three uranium mines with leases from the US Forest Service on public lands near the Grand Canyon. The EZ and Arizona 1 mines are located north of Grand Canyon National Park, while the Canyon mine is located abut 5 miles to the south. Arizona 1 mining operations have ceased though uranium is still being stored onsite and hauled to the company’s processing mill in White Mesa, Utah. Energy Fuel’s EZ and Canyon Mines are currently in process of development.

Uranium ore from Canyon Mine would be hauled in 30-ton capacity trucks up to 25 times per day, 300 miles through Flagstaff, Cameron, Tuba City, Kayenta, and Mexican Water to the company’s White Mesa Mill near Blanding, Utah.

The only protection communities along the haul route would have from radioactive pollution would be tarps covering the toxic ore.

Although the Navajo Nation has banned uranium mining and milling since 2005, nothing precludes transportation of this hazardous material through Diné lands. The 2005 ban was prompted by the hundreds of abandoned uranium mines that plague the reservation.

Areas such as the Diné community of Cameron continue to face high rates of cancer and poisoned drinking water due to uranium mines left abandoned from the nuclear industry’s toxic legacy.

According to the EPA, “Approximately 30 percent of the Navajo population does not have access to a public drinking water system and may be using unregulated water sources with uranium contamination.”

Nearly 180 miles of the Canyon Mine haul route is through the Navajo Nation, crossing bridges over the Little Colorado and the San Juan Rivers. In 1987, two separate accidents involving haul trucks spilled uranium ore across highways on the Navajo Nation.

ADEQ was initially prompted to suspend air pollution permits for the three mines due to high levels of radiation detected at one of the companies existing mines. The department recently held a series of public hearings in Northern Arizona regarding the permits.

At the August 30, 2016, hearing in Flagstaff, AZ, Milton Tso stated, “Now we’re talking about one of the most sacred places on earth that you want to mine uranium, the Grand Canyon. It’s not only sacred to us as Native people, but sacred to the whole world. We get millions of people that come just to look at this Canyon. And the water that runs through there is very sacred. There’s no guarantee for safety around uranium, around oil, around anything that’s brought out of our mother. There’s no guarantee that it’s going to be safe and it never is, there’s always going to be a spill, there’s always going to be an accident.” stated Tso.

When issuing the approval for air quality permits for the uranium mines, ADEQ responded to public concerns regarding tarps covering the radioactive ore by making requirements for tarps covering haul trucks more “stringent.” ADEQ stated that, “The tarp will be lapped over the sides of the haul truck bed at least 6 inches, and secured every 4 feet with a tie down rope.”

The Canyon mine where EFRI is currently drilling for uranium is near Red Butte, a mountain held sacred by the Havasupai Nation. Red Butte, including the Canyon Mine location, was determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places as a Traditional Cultural Property in 2009.

Havasupai council member Tilousi testified at the hearing, “We are the most impacted community in the front lines of this contamination and we were never given the opportunity to provide comment and I think that’s wrong. Our most sacred site, our most special sacred mountain, has been taken away from us and has been completely contaminated. We can no longer go over there and do our ceremonies that we’ve done for many centuries. We can no longer pick the sage and the cedar and burn it.” stated Tilousi.

In response to the desecration of Red Butte ADEQ stated, “State law does not allow the Department to include non-air quality requirements in the processing of these permits; however, EFRI is required to meet any and all other applicable state and federal requirements for protecting these resources and properties.” No laws currently ensure protection for sacred sites on federally held lands.

One comment submitted to ADEQ asked the department to conduct calculations to determine mine related emissions throughout Arizona along haul routes. They responded by stating, “ADEQ cannot look at off-site truck emissions when making a permitting decision.”

Several commenters requested that ADEQ perform an assessment of cumulative effects of radon gas, radiation, and radioactive dust in the Grand Canyon region. The department stated, “State law does not allow the Department to consider results of a study like this in a permitting decision for a specific site.”

“I feel that human lives are more important that profit. Water is more important than profit.” stated Carletta Tilousi at the hearing, “I would like for you to seriously look at what you have before you before you give that approval again to the mining companies.”

The uranium mines threaten to further contaminate the Colorado River which flows through the Grand Canyon. More than 40 million people rely on water from the Colorado. According the US Geological Survey, 15 springs and five wells in Grand Canyon watersheds already have high levels of radioactive pollution due to historical uranium mining in the region.

EFRI states that the “Canyon Mine is the highest-grade uranium mine in the US.”

Canyon mine production rate is 109,500 tons per year of uranium ore. The company is also permitted to stockpile up to 13,100 tons of uranium ore at Canyon Mine. The radioactive storage piles will be watered to control dust “and if this is shown to be insufficient” reduction of the storage pile size may be instituted, construction of wind barriers, or tarps could be placed over the storage piles.

In October 1984, Energy Fuels Nuclear submitted a proposed Plan of Operations to mine uranium from the Canyon Mine claim on Kaibab National Forest Service lands. The final Environmental Impact Statement was issued in 1986, approving the mine. Though no mining occurred, preparations began immediately following that decision. The Havasupai Nation and others sued but lost the case in 1991. In 1987, a group called Evan Mecham Eco Terrorist International Conspiracy or EMETIC, cut 29 power line poles at the Canyon Mine costing the company $200,000. Due to falling uranium prices, the mine was shuttered until Denison Mines, Canyon Mines’ former owner, informed the Forest Service that they intended to resume mine development in 2011.

In 2006, the price of uranium began rising and as a direct result, thousands of new claims for uranium mines were filed around the Grand Canyon. In 2009, this threat prompted the US Secretary of the Interior to impose a 2-year moratorium for new mining claims on 1 million acres of federal lands surrounding the Grand Canyon. The moratorium was extended to a 20-year halt on new Grand Canyon uranium claims in 2012. This ban would be made permanent through a legislative proposal to establish the Greater Grand Canyon Heritage National Monument. Though, neither the moratorium or proposed National Monument prevents existing uranium mines, like the Canyon Mine, from operating.

On October 27, 2016, EFRI announced that it has located high-grade copper while drilling the shaft at Canyon Mine. The company is now evaluating whether or not it will recover the copper as a “by-product” of uranium mining. EFRI announced that it’s shares were up nearly 8% on Wall Street after it announced copper was found at the mine.

“We have not been informed or properly consulted with about any additional discovery of ore.” stated Tilousi, “If that is the case we need to be consulted with immediately by the mining company and Kaibab Forest Service.”

The Kaibab National Forest, which approved the mining based on the antiquated 1872 Mining Law, has been involved in litigation regarding Canyon Mine since March 2013. In 2015, the U.S. District Court found in favor of the U.S. Forest Service in a lawsuit filed by Grand Canyon Trust, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club and Havasupai Tribe.

On April 14, 2015, the Havasupai Tribe filed an appeal to the 9th Circuit Court, the Grand Canyon Trust, Center for Biological Diversity and Sierra Club followed suit. Oral argument in appeals regarding the Canyon Mine will be heard at the 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco, CA on Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 9:30 am in Courtroom 4. Appeals regarding the case over the 2012 mineral withdrawal will be heard immediately after.

There are more than 15,000 abandoned uranium mines (AUMs) located throughout the entire US. Clean Up The Mines, which has proposed legislation to address AUM clean up, advocates that clean up of abandoned mines must occur immediately.

“Native American nations of North America are the miners’ canaries for the United States trying to awaken the people of the world to the dangers of radioactive pollution”, said Charmaine White Face who works with South Dakota based organization Defenders of the Black Hills and Clean Up The Mines.

South Dakota has 272 AUMs which are contaminating waterways such as the Cheyenne River and desecrating sacred and ceremonial sites. An estimated 169 AUMs are located within 50 miles of Mt. Rushmore where millions of tourists risk exposure to radioactive pollution each year. Indigenous communities have been disproportionately impacted as approximately 75% of AUMs are located on federal and Tribal lands.

“Colonization isn’t just the theft and assimilation of our lands and people, today we’re fighting against nuclear colonialism which is the theft of our future.” stated Morgan.

At a recent Native American Forum on Nuclear Issues held in Western Shoshone and Southern Paiute lands, Leona Morgan of Diné No Nukes stated, “When the US has over 15,000 abandoned uranium mines, it makes no sense to continue making more radioactive waste when we have no where to put it. Instead of spending billions of dollars on weapons modernization and subsidizing aging nuclear reactors, we need to start using those funds to clean up contaminated areas. It starts by leaving uranium in the ground.”

“Colonization isn’t just the theft and assimilation of our lands and people, today we’re fighting against nuclear colonialism which is the theft of our future.” stated Morgan.

Photo courtesy of Duluth News Tribune

The leak is about 150 miles from the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access pipeline.

About 150 miles from where thousands have protested for months that the Dakota Access pipeline could threaten a Sioux tribe’s water supply, a pipeline in the western part of North Dakota has spilled more than 130,000 gallons of oil into a creek, state officials said.

In all, the Belle Fourche pipeline lost 4,200 barrels of crude oil, or more than 176,000 gallons, before operators shut it down, according to state Department of Health spokeswoman Jennifer Skjod. Most of the oil flowed into the Ash Coulee Creek near Belfield, Skjod said.

It’s unclear what caused the break, according to Wendy Owen, a spokeswoman for Wyoming-based True Companies, which owns the pipeline. A landowner discovered the leak Dec. 5. The company uses monitoring technology designed to detect leaks, but it possibly failed because of “the intermittent nature of the flow” of oil through the pipeline, Owen said.

A blizzard last week has impeded efforts to assess the spill’s extent and its impact on the environment. The creek is frozen. Officials are investigating when the pipeline, which typically carried 1,000 barrels of oil per day, started to leak.

“We have no estimate on when or if it will be operational,” Skjod said of the pipleline.

The Associated Press reported the company has declared 36 other spills since 2006, totaling more than 320,000 gallons of petroleum products.

The area is west of where the Standing Rock Sioux and their allies have fought construction on the Dakota Access pipeline, which had been expected to cross under Lake Oahe, a plan that is now on hold. The Sioux have argued that a pipeline rupture could contaminate the water supply and damage sacred lands.

The Barack Obama administration announced last week that it would not grant an easement to developer Energy Transfer Partners to build the final section of the Dakota Access pipeline. The developer has expressed confidence that the project will be completed after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. we believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

And now it has come to this image from the Occupy Wall Street Movement: The desecration of America and Old Glory by sociopathic, war-profiteering multinational corporations that soldiers and veterans never realized they were killing and dying for including Energy Transfer Partners, Exxon-Mobil, British Petroleum, Enbridge, NAFTA, the TPP and the corporations represented in Donald Trump’s proposed cabinet.

Standing Rock, North Dakota — Widespread outrage over both the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline and violent police crackdowns rages on. That outrage is spreading even to police agencies now returning from deployment to the reservation. Two departments have already refused to return, citing personal and public objections. As if that wasn’t enough, an army of sympathizers is re-purposing social media to combat police efforts in Standing Rock.

Minnesota’s Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department is among that group. Lawmakers, according to MPR News, found police activities in Standing Rock “inappropriate”. It’s to the point where they’re considering rewriting legislation to avoid future deployments to incidents like the pipeline resistance.

Police officials, of course, declined to comment on their return from North Dakota or their feelings on what’s happening there. It’s also made the task of rebuilding trust with the community an even loftier uphill battle. “I do not support Sheriff Stanek’s decision to send his deputies to North Dakota”, says LT. Governor Tina Smith, “nor did we approve his decision to begin with. I do not have any control over the Sheriff’s actions, which I think were wrong, and I believe he should bring his deputies home if he hasn’t already.”

Smith’s comments split the state’s government, however, and she was targeted. Minnesota State Rep. Tony Cornish condemned Smith for prioritizing “the rights of protesters over the needs of law enforcement”, saying she should apologize to the cops.

Sheriffs from Wisconsin’s Dane County were more empathetic, pulling out and refusing to return. According to the Bismarck Tribune, Sheriff Dave Mahoney made the decision after a “wide cross-section of the community” decried the deployment. “All share the opinion that our deputies should not be involved in this situation”, says Mahoney. Dane County’s deputies were deployed to Standing Rock for around a week. Sources report Dane County wasn’t involved in recent arrests, a string of which scooped up an alderwoman from Madison Wisconsin.

Ald. Rebecca Kemble traveled to North Dakota as a “legal observer”, filming and participating in prayer ceremonies. When Morton County officers–if they cans till be called that–grabbed and arrested her for engaging in a riot. According to Kemble, no riot was happening. Other Wisconsin departments have been recalled, with at least one staying behind for a more couple weeks.

Other journalists, including documentarian Deia Schlosberg, face decades in prison for filming climate activists at a separate oil project. Journalists from the independent outlet Unicorn Riot, who recently reported use of a sound cannon on water protectors, have also been arrested.

Thousands of opponents to the pipeline have flooded Standing Rock to repel construction and police brutality. More still have taken to the internet, spreading information in the form of writing, video, photography, and art. Among the renegade tactics is using Facebook to “check-in” at Standing Rock. According the Guardian, over a million people–even people I know–have joined the action.

It began with a Facebook post, disclosing that Morton County sheriffs are allegedly using Facebook check-ins to track protesters. “Checking in”–whether you’re at a friend’s, restaurant, or escalating resistance–pinpoints your location to a tee. Once you check in, a notification is sent out to, yes, your friends, but theoretically anyone who’s capable of watching. It’s yet another tool in the bag of tricks authorities have deployed against civilians, and are likely utilizing in Standing Rock.

Some detractors have dismissed the social media action as a waste of time. An editor at The Fifth Column challenged these in a Facebook post, narrating a debate on the subject he’d had. Editor Justin King pointed out that even if the check-in’s wasted two minutes of time, multiplied by hundreds of thousands, that equates to two months of wasted police work. Now imagine how ineffective the surveillance may be with millions continuously checking.

Morton County Sheriff’s, Guardian reports, called claims of police surveillance misguided “rumors”. Morton County, by their own account, isn’t “monitoring Facebook check-ins for the protest camp or any location for that matter.” Before you trust them, consider that Facebook access for water protectors was reported as “blocked’ during a military-style raid on a camp.

Data Collection Nationwide

Other police departments are similarly sketchy when pressured to speak on their surveillance technologies. Wisconsin’s Milwaukee PD hid the use of cell site simulators, or Stingrays, from courts for months. Stingrays mimic cellphone towers, thus tricking phones into providing all manner of user information and data

The Hand’s Fingers In Open Rebellion

In addition to the general retreat of departments, two officers have already turned in their badges in support of the protesters. North Dakota water protector Redhawk, MintPress reports, disclosed the revelation. The individual also pointed out “you can see it in some of them, that they do not support the police actions.” “Some are waking up”, they continued, “we must keep reminding them that they are welcome to put down their weapons and badge and take a stand against the pipeline as well.” Hints of shame could be seen in the faces of officers who confronted protesters as they blocked them from prayer grounds. As the protesters condemned officers, some of whom looked down or off to the horizon in shame.

The modern era of internet and technology gifts us with a plethora of ways to express ourselves, and help one another. Standing Rock is quickly becoming a stand out of that fact. Citizens, journalists, and activists are all using the internet to achieve their own goals. Whether that be spreading information being blocked, tracking police movements, sending food and rations or just voicing opinions. Standing Rock’s resistance is spreading globally, with protests occurring in Europe and elsewhere. As long as construction doesn’t stop, the movement won’t rest.

Stories published in our Hot Topics section are chosen based on the interest of our readers. They are republished from a number of sources, and are not produced by MintPress News. The views expressed in these articles are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Mint Press News editorial policy.

Editorial by Mani Wanji Zephier: The Governor of North Dakota is so concerned about the “health and well-being” of the camp, he is starting to blockade supplies of firewood, food, medical supplies and water. Yeah, turning off heat, food, water and medical supplies to 10,000 people, over half being women and children is a REALLY good way to protect peoples health and well being. 😠

Is that even legal?! I would think it’s illegal to blockade in ten thousand people with no heat,food,water or medical???

(UPDATE just saw that According to Article 54 of the Geneva Convention, withholding food from civilians is prohibited and is considered an Act of War.)

I just also read Bismark Tribune article on the blockade where the Governor’s spokesperson said, “If they freeze to death, it’s their own fault”.

Seriously this is 2016 they act like it’s the 1800’s. They did this a lot to native people back then. That’s what started the great Indian War, and my ancestor, Cut Nose, was hung at Mankato for raiding for food for the starving people.

He’s also not allowing them to plow the roads from the snow storm within a few miles of camp, hopefully supplies will be able to get in OK through the reservation on the back way. Maybe the tribe can plow?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

North Dakota officials hope to quell pipeline protests with fines

North Dakota officials on Tuesday moved to block supplies from reaching oil pipeline protesters at a camp near the construction site, threatening to use hefty fines to keep demonstrators from receiving food, building materials and even portable bathrooms.

Activists have spent months protesting plans to route the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying the project poses a threat to water resources and sacred Native American sites.

State officials said on Tuesday they would fine anyone bringing prohibited items into the main protest camp following Governor Jack Dalrymple’s “emergency evacuation” order on Monday. Earlier, officials had warned of a physical blockade, but the governor’s office backed away from that.

Law enforcement would take a more “passive role” than enforcing a blockade, said Maxine Herr, a spokeswoman for the Morton County Sheriff’s Department.

“The governor is more interested in public safety than setting up a road block and turning people away,” Herr said by telephone.

Officers will stop vehicles they believe are headed to the camp and inform drivers they are committing an infraction and could be fined $1,000.

These penalties should serve as a hindrance, according to Cecily Fong, a spokeswoman for the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.

“So that effectively is going to block that stuff (supplies), but there is not going to be a hard road block,” Fong said by telephone.

A spokeswoman from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe was not immediately available for comment.

North Dakota Governor-elect Doug Burgum, a Republican, declined to comment.

The Oceti Sakowin camp is seen in a snow storm during a protest against plans to pass the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, near Cannon Ball, North Dakota, U.S. November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith

The 1,172-mile (1,885 km) pipeline project, owned by Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners LP, is mostly complete except for a segment planned to run under Lake Oahe, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Missouri River.

Thousands of people are protesting at camps located on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land, north of the Cannonball River in Cannon Ball, North Dakota. The main protest camp near Cannon Ball is called Oceti Sakowin, the original name of the Sioux, meaning Seven Council Fires.

Protest leaders said state officials and local law enforcement officers were “bullying” demonstrators with the threat of fines.

“It’s bogus and I don’t know about the legality of it,” said Kandi Mossett, an organizer with Indigenous Environmental Network. “We’re not afraid. We’re moving in and out of the camp at will. So people shouldn’t be afraid of coming and supporting the water protectors. They’ve been bullying us since day one.”

‘HARSH WINTER CONDITIONS’

Dalrymple’s evacuation order was issued on Monday due to the “harsh winter conditions.” Snow and wind gusts up to 45 mph (73 kph) were forecast for Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, law enforcement on Nov. 21 used water cannons to disperse protesters who had blockaded a highway.

Demonstrators and law enforcement have clashed over the months since protests began, with demonstrators claiming excessive use of force by law enforcement.

On Tuesday, the National Lawyers Guild filed a class action in U.S. District Court in North Dakota on behalf of injured protesters, claiming local authorities in Morton and Stutsman counties used excessive force.

Also In Commodities

The civil rights complaint said there were no orders to disperse or warnings issued before local police turned water cannons and tear gas on the protest. The lawsuit seeks compensatory damages.

Stutsman County Auditor Casey Bradley said the county sheriff’s office was unaware of the lawsuit and unable to comment on the allegations.

Officers were justified in using water cannons because of the threat posed by demonstrators, Fong and Herr said. Law enforcement gave numerous warnings for protesters to disperse, they said.

North Dakota officials have issued several requests for additional help from federal law enforcement in light of the demonstrators. However, the Army Corps said Monday its order to evacuate the primary protest camp by Dec. 5 would not include forcibly removing people from the land.

The Obama administration in September postponed final approval of a Army Corps’ permit required to allow tunneling beneath the lake, a move intended to give federal officials more time to consult tribal leaders.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a Tuesday news briefing that Obama believes law enforcement has “an obligation” to show restraint and protesters have a “responsibility” to protest peacefully.

In a related protest, prosecutors suspended charges against Deia Schlosberg, a documentary maker arrested while filming as environmental protesters attempted to shut down the flow of oil through pipelines carrying crude from Canada to the United States in October.

(Writing by Timothy Mclaughlin in Chicago; Additional reporting by David Gaffen and Mica Rosenberg in New York, Ernest Scheyder in Houston, Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, Roberta Rampton and Doina Chiacu in Washington.; Editing by Ben Klayman, Matthew Lewis and Andrew Hay)

This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. we believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

By Winona LaDukeSpecial to News From Indian Country and Everybody Else

Standing Rock is an unpredicted history lesson for all of us. More than any moment I recall since Wounded Knee, the Vietnam War, or the time of Martin Luther King, this moment stands as a crossroads in the battle for social justice. It is also an economic issue, in a time of economic system transformation, and profoundly a question of the future of this land. The world is watching.

As the US Army Corps of Engineers issues a December 5 eviction notice for thousands of people gathered on the banks of the Missouri River, we face our truth. Those people at the Oceti Sakowin and Red Warrior Camps, along with the 550 people who have been arrested so far, are really the only thing standing between a river and a corporation that wants to pollute it. That we know, because absent any legal protections, and with a regulatory system hijacked by oil interests and a federal government in crisis, the people and the river remain the only clear and sentient beings.

In short, this is a moment of extreme corporate rights and extreme racism confronted by courage, prayers, and resolve. This moment has been coming. The violence and the economics of a failing industry will indeed unravel, and this is the beginning.

The Deep North

North Dakota did not become Alabama – or the Deep North, as it is now called – overnight. Native people in North Dakota have been treated poorly for more than a hundred years, whether by the damming of the Missouri and the flooding of millions of acres of tribal land, or by poverty and incarceration, North Dakota is a place of systemic and entrenched racism. Two of the poorest counties in the country are on Standing Rock, Native people comprise almost a fourth of the people in prison, Native suicide rates are ten times that of North Dakotans, infrastructure (like the fifty year old hospital with four doctors for 8000 people, and a now blocked Highway l806, without a shoulder) is at an all time low, and people freeze to death and overdose in the shadow of the Bakken Oil fields. That’s the first layer of abuse, aside from the day to day racism, emboldened by Morton County and the incoming Trump government. It is visible for the world to see now.

For many who come, North Dakota is something unknown. Americans fly over the state, talk about how the movie Fargo was funny, and wonder sheepishly about how it’s working out in the Bakken. Very few visit, and there is almost no civil society to advocate for the environment or the people. Let me put it this way, until this year, the Sierra Club had one staff person in North Dakota, and the American Civil Liberties Union had one staff member covering both North and South Dakota. It is as if North Dakota is just too uncomfortable for a progressive movement to visit or work in. Instead, we have watched.

After all, the sex trafficking, violence, and corruption has overwhelmed most of the state’s capacity to address it, and a recent study by the National Academy of Sciences found widespread groundwater contamination in the fracking fields. For North Dakotans it has become just how it is… That is to say: accommodating corporations is the North Dakota way. This last year, North Dakota health officials excused more oil spills without penalty, and increased the allowable levels of radiation in municipal and county dumps to accommodate the fracking industry. The corporations direct state policy.

It’s been easy to put it out of mind because after all, it seems so far away when we view the world from our television or smartphone. In the midst of this, we find ourselves facing a larger set of forces. As of November 18, the Morton County Sheriff’s Department inventoried their troops at 1,287 deputies, including police from 25 North Dakota counties, 20 North Dakota cities, and 9 states (Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming). Over 550 people have been arrested, many of them strip searched and cavity searched for misdemeanor charges, and a number of them held overnight in dog kennels. Now the state has fired on unarmed people who want to protect the water from contamination. After all, that’s what this is about.

To serve the convenience of a deadline for Energy Transfer Partners’s corporate profits, the police have fired teargas canisters, water hoses, concussion grenades, rubber bullets, tasers, and bean bag rounds at unarmed people trying to protect their water supply. Most of them are Native, and the North Dakota media has continued to portray the water protectors as outlaws.

When 21 year old New York resident Sophia Wilansky’s arm was blown off by a concussion grenade, Morton County Sheriff Kirchenmeir suggested that the water protectors caused it. A statement of her father, attorney Wayne Wilansky, differs: “At around 4:30am after the police hit the bridge with water cannons and rubber bullets and pepper spray, they lobbed a number of concussion grenades which are not supposed to be thrown at people directly, at protesters or protectors as they want to be called. A grenade exploded right as it hit Sophia in the left forearm taking most of the undersurface of her left arm with it. Both her radial and ulnar artery were completely destroyed. Her radius was shattered and a large piece of it is missing. Her medial nerve is missing a large section as well. All of the muscle and soft tissue between her elbow and wrist were blown away. The police did not do this by accident – it was an intentional act of throwing it directly at her. Additionally police were shooting people in the face and groin, intending to do the most possible damage…”

January 1 Energy Transfer Deadline

On January 1, the Dakota Access Pipeline may turn into a pumpkin. This is to say, that the Dakota Access Pipeline was proposed in 2014, when the Bakken was at a peak. The Bakken is presently producing 900,000 barrels a day of oil, and steadily declining. All of that oil is already being refined locally, or shipped out by train or pipeline. The state of North Dakota has announced that they project to have the same 900,000 barrels of oil a day coming out of the Bakken in 2019, two years from now, and even that may be optimistic. In other words, there’s already plenty of infrastructure to move all the oil from North Dakota; this pipeline is not needed. We call it the Dakota Excess Pipeline.

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis with Sightline Institute just released a new report on the shaky finances of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The report, “The High-Risk Financing Behind the Dakota Access Pipeline: A Stranded Asset in the Making in the Bakken Region of North Dakota,” delves into “the project’s financial weaknesses, and the fact the pipeline may represent a substantial overbuilding of the Bakken’s oil-transport infrastructure.” The report notes that the pipeline’s principal backer, Energy Transfer Partners (ETP), has conceded in court proceedings that it is contractually obligated to complete the project by January 1. ETP will most likely miss this deadline, if for no other reason than lack of clearance. The company recently informed investors that it would take from 90 to 120 days to complete the pipeline after it receives an easement from the Army Corps of Engineers to cross the Missouri River. The Corps has yet to give that permission and last week recommended further study on the question.

If the deadline is missed, companies that have committed long-term to ship oil through the pipeline at 2014 prices will have the right to rescind those commitments. “In the interest of protecting their investors and shareholders, these companies may well renegotiate terms, seeking concessions on contracted volumes, prices, or contract duration.

The impetus for striking new deals on Dakota Access Pipeline contracts is rooted in radical changes in the broader economic context in which the project was proposed in 2014 and in which the majority of the contracts were signed. Global oil prices began to collapse just a few months after shippers committed to using DAPL, and consensus market forecasts see no recovery for at least a decade….”

In short, greed is expensive, and if Energy Transfer Partners does not meet that deadline, many prudent shippers may want to renegotiate or withdraw their contracts. In other words, the pipeline could become a pumpkin, in the terms of Cinderella, and there are a lot of people who would not be sorry about that.

So, let’s be honest, all of the aggression is to see if North Dakota can make sure that Energy Transfer Partners can make a deadline and not lose money and continue to bilk potential shippers.

Evicting Native People

On the day after Thanksgiving, the Army Corps of Engineers issued an eviction notice to the thousands of people camped on the banks of the river. Creating the legal fiction of a “free speech zone”, in no relationship to anything significant. District Commander John W. Henderson sent an email to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe stating that on December 5, the Oceti Sakowin camp would need to evacuate Army Corps land. The letter claims that evacuation “is necessary to protect the general public from the violent confrontations between protestors and law enforcement officials that have occurred in this area, and to prevent death, illness, or serious injury to inhabitants of encampments due to the harsh North Dakota winter conditions. The necessary emergency, medical, and fire response services, law enforcement, or sustainable facilities to protect people from these conditions on this property cannot be provided.” At no point did the Army Corps point out that Highway 1806 was closed by Morton County and that all the sustained injuries were from Morton County.

Standing Rock Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault responded to the Army Corps: “Our Tribe is deeply disappointed in this decision by the United States, but our resolve to protect our water is stronger than ever. The best way to protect people during the winter, and reduce the risk of conflict between water protectors and militarized police, is to deny the easement for the Oahe crossing, and deny it now. We ask that everyone who can appeal to President Obama and the Army Corps of Engineers to consider the future of our people and rescind all permits, and deny the easement to cross the Missouri River just north of our Reservation and straight through our treaty lands. When the Dakota Access Pipeline chose this route, they did not consider our strong opposition. Our concerns were clearly articulated directly to them in a tribal council meeting held on Sept. 30, 2014, where DAPL and the ND Public Service Commission came to us with this route. We have released the audio recording from that meeting.”

The fact is that the Dakota Access Pipeline is not complete because of the people camped on that land- whether in the Oceti Sakowin, Sacred Stone, or Red Warrior Camps. The arrests of 550 people have been at a high cost to people, but also at a high cost to Energy Transfer Partners, because they are unlikely to meet their deadline.

None of us know how this moment in history is going to work out. On December 4, thousands of military veterans are coming to support the people and the river – veterans of Iraq, Vietnam, and every war in between. I am interested how the Army Corps will speak with the veterans. The veterans join the thousands of elected officials, religious and cultural leaders who have come to stand with the river and the people. In the end, that’s what will remain, long after Energy Transfer is bankrupt and the state of North Dakota has come to reckoning. The river will remain.

I am reminded of a quote originating from Thunder Valley. “ How long are you going to let others determine the future for your children? Are we not warriors? When our ancestors went to battle they did not know what the consequences would be, all they knew is that, without action, things would not go well for their children . Don’t operate out of a place of fear, operate from hope. With hope everything is possible. The time is now. “

Last week, the newly formed group “Veterans Stand for Standing Rock” called on veterans to nonviolently stand up to militarized law enforcement at the site of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Since its initial call to action, the veterans’ movement has grown exponentially.

Last week, the Facebook event, which was launched by Army veteran Wesley Clark Jr. and former Marine and Baltimore cop-turned-reformist, Michael A. Wood Jr., received widespread media attention. This boost helped increase the number of attendees from a couple hundred veterans to their maximum capacity of 2,000.

A standard email response from the group (as of Saturday) reads:

“We are happy to announce our small campaign has grown to 2,000 Veterans from every corner of the US [and] will be joining us to stand in peace with our brothers and sisters in Standing Rock.”

Their event page states they have over 2,100 veterans signed up and are exploring options for a second trip.

The group has a strict no weapons policy but is stocking up on body armor and protective gear like gas masks to withstand potential attacks from the heavily militarized police, who have arrested at least 400 of protesters so far. According to on-site medics, hundreds of protesters have also been injured. Last week, a 21-year-old woman was reportedly hit with a concussion grenade, leading to a severe injury that may require her arm to be amputated. Though police have blamed protesters for what happened to her, at least one witness claims law enforcement’s version of events is untruthful.

Outrage against incidents like these, as well as attacks on journalists via tasers, rubber bullets, and felony charges has made the ongoing situation ripe for outside intervention.

“This country is repressing our people,” Wood Jr. said last week. “If we’re going to be heroes, if we’re really going to be those veterans that this country praises, well, then we need to do the things that we actually said we’re going to do when we took the oath to defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic.”

With 2,100 veterans signed up to make a stand, it appears police will be forced to reconcile their aggressive behavior with the nonviolent show of veterans, who intend to march toward police on site.

The group has gained substantial financial backing since word of their mission spread. According to their GoFundMe page, they have already raised over $500,000 to fund their trip, which is planned for December 4 to December 7.

Their goal is currently set at $750,000, an increase from the $100,000 — and then $200,000 — requested last week.

“I increased the goal because I was wrong,” Wood Jr. said, according to Task and Purpose. “I was giving a ballpark number that we could get 500 people there without feeling like I was asking much of the public. In a short period of two days, the picture changed dramatically. As long as we’re increasing in size, I have to ask for more funds. And as long as we have more funds, we will increase in size.”

He added:

“This is already way beyond transportation. So the additional funds will go toward protective equipment, infrastructure, lodging, food, medical supplies, and stuff to help deal with the elements of nature.”

The funds will also go toward bailing out members of the group who are arrested during their demonstration.

As the cash and volunteers continue to roll in, the group’s resolve in its self-described “deployment” is only increasing.

“We’ve grown to the point where we have an actual chain of command now,” Wood Jr. said. “Emails are hundreds a day, if not thousands.”

Anti-Media spoke to one Navy veteran, Jake Bagwell, who heard about the event last week through social media and is now scheduled to head to Standing Rock, pending his request for time off from work.

“I figured if any demographic would have a big enough impact to wake people up, it’s vets. Especially when it comes to standing up to the government,” he said.

He added:

“Nothing about what the ‘authorities’ are doing makes sense. Water cannons in subfreezing temperatures? Are you serious?”

Another veteran, Sam Deering, posted on Facebook about his decision to join Vets Stand for Standing Rock:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the land where protesters are camped out, issued a notice last week warning them to evacuate by December 5. Reuters reports the agency has said it has no plans to forcibly remove protesters, but on Monday, North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple issued a separate mandatory order to evacuate the area.

Anti-Media has reached out to Veterans Stand for Standing Rock to learn how they plan to respond to these demands and will update this story if they respond.

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